Follow the Yellow Brick Road

One of my favorite childhood movies was the Wizard of Oz.  Dorothy, uncertain where she should begin on her journey is prompted by Glinda "It's always best to start at the beginning, and all you do is follow the yellow brick road."  I began a new adventure down my own yellow brick road on New Year's Eve 2012, when I was inspired by a friend to start a bucket list which I like to call my 40x40.  Forty things I want to accomplish by the time I'm forty years old.  Now, my list may not be filled with fantastical, over-the-top, once-in-a-crazy-person's-lifetime kinds of things.  I prefer to think of it as a yellow brick road to follow to help me accomplish some dreams, enrich my life, and keep me moving forward over the next three years.

So my friends, here we start, at the beginning.

1. Read Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman cover to cover. 
2. Run a marathon.  Completed 10/27/2013, Washington, D.C. 
3. Ski out west. completed 2/10/2013, Breckenridge, CO.  
4. Visit Frank Lloyd Wright's Taleisin. 
5. Hike the Pere Marquette River Trail loop. 
6. Top Secret. 
7. More top secret. (sorry, a girl has to have some secrets) 
8. Star gaze in the Iowa countryside. 
9. See a meteor shower. 
10. Write a short story. 
11. Perfect a handstand or forearm stand. 
12. Go on a yoga retreat. 
13. Riverbank 25K race.  Completed 5/11/2013, Grand Rapids, MI. 
14. Re-key my flute. 
15. Take flute lessons again. 
16. Climb Sleeping Bear. 
17. See a play at the Purple Rose Theater. 
18. Start a Master's Degree.  
19. None of your business. 
20. Write a book of poetry. 
21. Have an Audrey Hepburn movie marathon. 
22. Grow a lavender garden. 
23. Make Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon. 
24. Crochet a granny square blanket like my mom makes.
25. Learn to meditate.  And have a regular practice. 
26. See Mumford & Sons live. 
27. Master making hummus.  
28. Start a blog.  Completed 6/30/2013. 
29. Run a trail half marathon.  
30. and beyond TBD.  

And with that, I slide on my trusty ruby slippers and begin my journey.